Here are my random thoughts as I get a grip on having cancer at 42 (now 49) years old. I would like to inspire hope in all of you and in myself as well as to provide a place for you to keep track of me through this ordeal.

March 16, 2006

Paradise, Part II

Day 6, still wondering where all the clouds are? Six straight days of awesome weather, the first four were in the low 80’s and the last three have been in the high 70’s.

On Monday we drove down to Venice Beach to meet some friends and watch the sunset. Again, a post card sunset, worth the drive, I just wish they were closer.

Tuesday we headed off to Busch Gardens for a day of roller coasters. It had been close to 20 years since I had been there. My things have changed! If you are in to roller coasters, I would recommend this park over any in Orlando. There are two older coasters that are OK, but are not worth adding any details on. They have one where your legs dangle below you, it is frightening but pretty good as well. The three that are a must are:- Sheikra: you climb to 200 feet and they stop the cars at the edge and hold you there for what seems like an eternity (4-5 seconds), then you drop straight down (literally). It's an unbelievable experience.

Kwazi – more twists and turns and invertered loops than I have ever experienced. This one was the best.

???? – the most fun however, it was the old wooden one. 3500 feet, 3.5 g forces of laughter. I laugh on roller coasters. Some people scream; I laugh, and laugh and laugh. The best part of riding this one (7 times) was having Brad in the car with me each time. He was loving every single bump, corner, hill, etc. (I have whiplash, but nothing a few Advil didn’t clear up!!!)

(On another note, on our way up I-75 to the park I had a thought about a guy named Dan. Dan is from Tampa and has PC. I’ve mentioned him here before. He drives 150 miles or so round trip for chemo therapy several times a week. Anyway, I just wondered if we passed each other on I-75. Now here is the ironic part….I check my email later on in the day, and there is a comment on the blog from his wife Paula…..spooky stuff (see the comment on the previous entry)!!!Yesterday our deep sea fishing trip was cancelled because of choppy seas so we spent the day at the beach. Imagine that! My brother and I found a hoard of sand dollars at the end of the day, 20-30 in about 30 minutes, and we had to stop for dinner.

Mary turned 39 again yesterday and we took her out for a wonderful dinner. If you ever find yourself in Longboat Key, FL I would recommend “Moore’s Crab House”. A family owned place, right on the inner-coastal waterway. Not much on atmosphere but the seafood was excellent and the service was great.

I love the ocean, I love being by water. There is something peaceful, tranquil about the sound of the waves, the sand, even seagulls (winged rats). Though the thoughts of cancer are still there, I must admit there have been a few times this week where perhaps 30 or 60 minutes have passed without those thoughts being top of mind.

With two days left I don’t want to go. I’d love to live here; I love to die here (in 30 years). I think I understand why people come here to retire. Everyday you get up, walk the beach for an hour (or two), have a little breakfast, do your errands, eat lunch, play golf or tennis or God forbid, walk the beach again, etc., etc. I know it’s not something that interests all of you, but for me, this is a little slice of paradise..(Please excuse typo’s etc. We are sponging off someone’s internet connection and don’t have a lot of time for edits. My better half will surely clean this up later. After all she’s 39 and better looking than I am!!!)

I’ll wrap this all up on Sunday but in closing, from Anna Maria Island, Florida here is something to consider:A beach is sand, sand is pretty much made up of crushed shells and dead sea organisms. When has death ever looked so beautiful?